From: RustyÿBullethole, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
TIMES SATURDAY JANUARY 27 2001
RSPCA wins the right to ban hunt supporters
BY VALERIE ELLIOTT, COUNTRYSIDE EDITOR
THE RSPCA won its battle yesterday to ban hunt
supporters from infiltrating its membership and trying to
force a U-turn on the charity's anti-hunting policy. But a
High Court judge told the society that it could not decide
to ban applicants on suspicion alone or because they supported
field sports.
Mr Justice Lightman said the society would have to
investigate each case on its merits and must write to each
applicant asking their reasons for joining the organisation.
The move followed a request from the charity for the
court to clarify its membership rules. The RSPCA, which has
been anti-hunting since 1976, believed an attempt to infiltrate
its membership had been orchestrated by the pro-hunt Countryside
Animal Welfare Group (CAWG) in an attempt to overturn the
charity's support for a hunting ban.
Malcolm Phipps, chairman of the RSPCA's ruling council,
said last night that the ruling had given the society "a
mechanism to protect itself against infiltration and ensures
its vital work is not hindered".
Richard Meade, chairman of CAWG, and three times Olympic
gold medallist showjumper, has always insisted that there was
no campaign to infiltrate the RSPCA. He was delighted with part
of the ruling. "I think it is right that the charity has been
told it must investigate objections to ensure they are
well-founded. The problem is that if someone is a hunter or
enjoys field sports the RSPCA thinks that's incompatible with
animal welfare, but we believe that is wrong."
In his judgment the judge said that a proposed blanket
ban on suspicious applications would be "draconian". It could
lead to the expulsion of the innocent along with the guilty and
the society should bear in mind "the critical importance of the
public image and the reputation of the society for fairness and
justice".
--
So this means also that the GCN argument that they don't want
to be "infiltrated" is now even sillier than it was before.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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